Quad Research Institute

Anthony has a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies from the University of Chicago. He also has earned a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Anthony served as Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies. He interviewed prospective students interested in majoring in Classics and the humanities and wrote letters of evaluation for the admissions committee. Professionally, Anthony has over ten years of experience as an educator.

Anthony’s passion for coaching stems from his drive to ensure that deserving students get access to quality education, regardless of their background. Anthony knows how valuable guidance during the college admissions process can be, especially for those with limited means or those who lack access to formal guidance. He strives to do everything in his power to help students access quality education and unlock their full potential.

When it comes to coaching, Anthony’s greatest strength is his ability to holistically approach students as human beings, identifying their premier qualities derived from every facet of their lives that have contributed to their growth and development. 

When Anthony isn’t coaching students, he enjoys woodworking, especially the notion of creating sophisticated objects from raw materials.

Gregory has a Bachelor's in English from Brooklyn College, CUNY, a Master’s in English and American Literature from Hunter College, CUNY, and a PhD in English and American Literature from New York University. 

With 25 years of experience teaching and mentoring, helping students achieve their goals is in his DNA. Gregory is passionate about supporting students in self-discovery—giving them the tools to understand who they want to be as readers, thinkers, and writers.

After working with corporate lawyers for nearly twenty years, Gregory became a Professor in the departments of Literature, Writing and Publishing, and Interdisciplinary Studies. He also founded and organized a number of Darwin-inspired Moral Sense Colloquia and other multidisciplinary events. He has authored books on literary subjects, moral consciousness, evolution and human culture, art and adaptation, great apes, and the cultural ecology of food. His current interests broadly cover environmental and animal ethics. To date, he has over eighty short-form publications and has written or edited nine other academic books or anthologies.

With his breadth of experience as a mentor and a leader, he has coached countless students through first-year research projects, senior theses, and honors capstone projects. He has helped students achieve their academic goals with admissions to law school, medical school, master programs in psychology or counseling, graduate writing and literature programs, teacher education graduate programs, and more.

As a coach, Gregory enjoys working closely with students—guiding them through the research process. He is very responsive, attentive, and goal-oriented with mentees, ensuring they get the most out of their projects.

Cathy has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master’s degree in Asian Civilizations from the University of Iowa. Following her MA, she received her PhD in Asian Languages and Cultures and Chinese from the University of Michigan. 

Cathy is passionate about helping students tap into their curiosity. She loves guiding them through the process of intellectual inquiry and seeing the excitement they find in discovery. Mentoring students was always her favorite part of teaching; she aims to reinforce the joy of learning with QRI mentees. 

As a mentor, Cathy’s goal is to help students identify and develop their interests in the most meaningful ways. She listens carefully, checks what she’s hearing, and offers a sounding board. She finds excitement in offering students glimpses of how their interests can connect to issues and fields they may never even have heard of before. From this, she encourages students to lead their projects with their best interests in mind. 

She believes her role as a mentor is to help foster whatever may be emerging in a student. She meets students where they are while pushing them past their comfort zones. Cathy offers QRI students the strengths of her convictions in their capacities, reassuring them that they are supported throughout the process. Ultimately, Cathy aims to help students grow into themselves beyond academics--guiding them through each step.

With over 20 years of experience as a college professor in literature and culture, intercultural communications, and translation studies, Cathy is no stranger to guiding students through various writing assignments and advising on senior theses, among other academic endeavors. As a mentor and coach, she has worked with students from various specialties–from the arts, literature, translation, and social justice to physiology and physical therapy. With this experience, she has helped these students develop the skills to lead fruitful and fulfilling careers within their respective fields. 

As a coach, Cathy attunes to students as whole people–prioritizing their overall well-being throughout the process. Having witnessed how high-achieving students can push themselves past their limits, she understands the value of basic well-being. Her goal is to help students find and maintain a true center throughout the application process as they prepare to head off to college–excited to explore all possibilities and fully ready to take them on.

Phylicia has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Doctorate of Public Health in Healthcare Management and Leadership from Johns Hopkins University.  

Phylicia is passionate about sharing her knowledge with students to make engaging in independent research manageable and enjoyable. Doing research and exploring new topics should be fun, and Phylicia ensures students are excited and comfortable throughout the process. Her mentorship has led many students to pursue medical, healthcare, and public health careers. 

As a mentor, Phylicia provides students with guidance to help them navigate research. She ensures QRI students feel supported and know they’re not alone throughout the process. Phylicia shares her experiences and lessons learned with students to equip them for success. She knows how to ask students the right questions to uplift their ideas, ensuring they pursue topics they are passionate about. Phylicia encourages students to reach their highest potential–helping them find the confidence to reach their goals. 

Phylicia’s greatest strength as a coach is her ability to encourage students to lean into their passions and experiences. She aims to help students gain new perspectives regarding academic and career opportunities and the confidence to pursue them, ultimately giving them the tools to develop competitive resumes and college applications.

Phylicia is a great listener and goes the extra mile to ensure students’ families feel involved and comfortable throughout the process. She is always available to address any questions or concerns students, and their families may have. She loves learning more about mentees as it allows her to better understand their needs and address any roadblocks they may face.

James has a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University. After his undergraduate degree, he received an MS in Law from Northwestern University and a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University. He presently works as a Behavioral Scientist at a Fortune 500 company in the healthcare sector. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology for a private university in Chicago, IL.

James understands that being a great researcher can be challenging. Yet, gaining research skills is immensely rewarding. He is passionate about helping students hone these skills, allowing them to pursue educational paths and careers that have the potential to make important practical and scientific contributions. He loves coaching students throughout research projects as it allows him to witness tremendous intellectual growth in these students while helping them achieve their goals. 

James has helped over 80 students from diverse backgrounds launch their research careers throughout his career. He has coached students throughout the research process while teaching various college-level courses and in lab-based settings at Cornell University, Columbia University, DePaul University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. James has worked with multiple thesis students, three of whom co-authored papers and presented at conferences. 

James takes great care to involve mentees in every stage of the research process, including study design, data collection and analysis, and writing. He has empowered students to pursue selective research-based opportunities at Barnard College, Boston College, Brown University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, NYU, Rutgers University, University of Illinois, University of Oxford, and Yale University. Moreover, past mentees have gone on to present, win awards, and publish their research in top-tier scientific outlets such as Child Development, Developmental Psychology, and the Journal of Cognition and Development, among others.

As an educator and mentor, James strives to bring about enthusiasm for learning to help students see that they are capable of more than they have imagined. He provides hands-on guidance, coaching students throughout all stages of the research process. This includes working with students on brainstorming, scientific writing, data synthesis, and reporting. James firmly believes in providing students with detailed feedback and helping them develop their research toolkits to actualize their goals. 

James feels that it is essential to cultivate meaningful relationships with students. He aims to provide students with a safe space to share their ideas, encouraging open discourse and positively affirming their capabilities.

Isobel has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, graduating with high honors in Biology from the University of Maryland, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California San Francisco. 

Isobel gives credence to logical reasoning as a cornerstone of all academic pursuits. She believes anyone can develop the skills to think scientifically and produce high-quality work given the right guidance and mentorship. Isobel aims to encourage students to drive the process of their research paper and give them the tools to form life-long skill sets that will serve them no matter what career they choose. 

Isobel was an adjunct professor in the Department of Biology at the University of San Francisco for five years. She taught courses in scientific writing, human anatomy, and human physiology. For over a decade, she has worked as a scientist and has mentored many undergraduate and high school students in lab settings through summer internship programs. 

She has provided students with the tools to conduct and present high-quality, independent research projects. With her expertise and guidance, students have gone on to publish several publications in peer-reviewed journals, gain acceptance to top-five biology PhD programs, and secure highly sought-after positions at prestigious biotechnology firms. 

Throughout her career, she has benefited greatly from engaging in research experiences at the National Institute of Health at the age of 16. She strongly believes in passing on the expertise and tools she was given access to at a young age to help students nurture their passion for science.

As a coach, Isobel applies a student-led approach to mentorship. She gives students the tools to drive the research process successfully. She believes that when students are empowered to select a research topic they’re passionate about, they tend to be more engaged throughout the process and produce a higher-quality final result. Isobel guides students closely, sharing her expert knowledge freely while allowing them to shape their research projects.